Resources
Honest conversations about mental health
The Talk Room is a free counselling podcast from Hope Therapy — hosted by Ian Stockbridge MBACP and Wendy Castellino. Over 60 episodes covering anxiety, depression, relationships, trauma, workplace stress, and more. Listen free on YouTube.
NCPS Organisational Member
60+ episodes, always free
THE TALK ROOK — FEEDSPOT TOP MENTAL HEALTH PODCAST
Independently recognised for content quality, clinical authority, and contribution to accessible mental health education in the UK
60+
Podcast Episodes
105,000+
YouTube Views
90+
Qualified Therapists
20+
Counties across England
What is The Talk Room?
The Talk Room is a free mental health and counselling podcast produced by Hope Therapy & Counselling Services. It covers anxiety, depression, relationships, trauma, workplace stress, and a broad range of wellbeing topics in honest, accessible conversations — hosted by qualified therapists who work with these presentations every day. Every episode is free. There is no sign-up, no subscription, no catch.
The series is hosted by Ian Stockbridge — founder of Hope Therapy, MBACP (Senior Accredited), SNCPS (Acc.), SCoPEd Band C — and Wendy Castellino, an accredited CBT therapist and mental health professional with more than 35 years’ experience in the field. Between them, they bring a depth of clinical knowledge and a direct, conversational style that aims to make mental health information genuinely useful rather than intimidating.
Topics are drawn from the presentations Hope Therapy’s 90+ counsellors encounter most frequently — which means the conversations reflect what people are actually struggling with, in language that does not require a psychology background to understand.
A note on scope: The Talk Room is an educational resource. It is not a substitute for professional therapy or personalised clinical advice. If you are struggling, please speak to a qualified therapist — you can book a free 15-minute consultation with Hope Therapy at any time, with no obligation to proceed.
Listen & Watch
The Talk Room on YouTube
Our full episode library is free to watch on YouTube.
More than 60 long-form conversations alongside a growing series of short-form clips.
New content is published regularly.
Subscribe so you never miss an episode.
390+ subscribers · 105,000+ views · 247v videos · Free to watch
What We Cover
Find the episodes most relevant to you
The Talk Room covers a broad range of mental health and wellbeing topics.
Anxiety & Panic
Episodes covering how anxiety develops, what happens in the body and mind during panic, health anxiety, social anxiety, and practical approaches to managing it — including mindfulness, CBT, and ACT.
Depression & Low Mood
Episodes on depression — including men’s mental health, seasonal affective disorder, high-functioning depression, and the difference between low mood and clinical depression, with honest conversation about how therapy can help.
Trauma & PTSD
Conversations about trauma — what it is, how it presents, the difference between PTSD and Complex PTSD, childhood trauma, and the approaches — including EMDR and trauma-informed therapy — that support recovery.
Relationships & Couples
Episodes on relationship difficulties — couples counselling, communication, infidelity, trust, divorce and separation, love after loss, and finding connection in modern life.
Workplace & Burnout
Conversations about stress at work, burnout, employee mental health, managing high-performing teams, and the specific texture of professional pressure — informed by Ian’s 25+ years in senior commercial leadership.
Wellbeing & Self-Understanding
Episodes covering self-esteem, perfectionism, insomnia, OCD, PMDD, neurodiversity, mindfulness, compassion-focused approaches, LGBTQIA+ mental health, and more — the full range of what Hope Therapy supports.
Featured Episodes
Start with these conversations
A handpicked selection covering some of the topics people come to us with most often. Find the full library on YouTube.
Recognised as a Top Mental Health Podcast by Feedspot
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
The Talk Room has been independently recognised by Feedspot — one of the leading podcast and content directories — as a Top Mental Health Podcast. The award is based on editorial review of content quality, clinical authority, audience reach, and contribution to accessible mental health education.
It is a recognition that reflects what we set out to do from the beginning: create conversations about mental health that are honest, clinically grounded, and genuinely useful to the people who need them most. Conversations that do not require a background in psychology to follow, and that take the topics people find hardest to talk about seriously.
Why Listen
How a counselling podcast can support your mental health
Knowledge does not replace therapy — but it can change things before, during, and alongside professional support.
1
Reduce the fear of the unknown
Many people put off seeking therapy because they are not sure what to expect. Hearing qualified therapists talk openly about how counselling works — what happens in sessions, how different approaches differ — can make the first step feel considerably less daunting.
2
Start to understand what you are experiencing
When you can name what is happening — when anxiety, depression, burnout, or a relationship difficulty stops being just a feeling and starts to make sense — that shift in understanding is itself meaningful. The Talk Room is built to create those moments of recognition.
3
Support work that is already happening in therapy
If you are already working with a therapist, the series can complement that work — reinforcing concepts, exploring topics in more depth, or simply reminding you that what you are going through is shared by many other people across the UK.
About the Host
Qualified, practising, and still in the room
★
SCoPEd Band C
MBACP & SNCPS Senior Accredited
“Good clinical knowledge should not stay behind closed consulting room doors. The Talk Room exists to reach the people who most need to understand their own mental health — and who often never make it into a therapy room at all.”
Ian Stockbridge is the founder of Hope Therapy & Counselling Services and co-host of The Talk Room. He holds Senior Accredited status with both the BACP (MBACP Senior Accredited) and the NCPS (SNCPS Acc.), alongside SCoPEd Band C — the highest band of the shared counselling and psychotherapy competence framework in the UK — independently verified by both professional bodies simultaneously. He is a practising therapist, clinical supervisor, and published author of PMDD Uncovered.
His co-host Wendy Castellino is a highly experienced accredited CBT therapist and mental health professional with more than 35 years in the field. Together, they bring a depth and directness to these conversations that reflects real clinical experience rather than general commentary.
MBACP (Senior Accredited)
SNCPS (Acc)
SCoPEd Band C
BSc (Hons) CBT
PGCert Supervision L7
Quality Award 2024 — 95%+
From Our Clients
In the words of the people we support
Hope Therapy’s team of 90+ counsellors work with people across England — online and face-to-face.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Ian took me from the lowest point in my life and held me whilst I found my own inner strength. He showed me tools to work with my anxieties, gave me strategies when looking forward. I am a changed person thanks to the patience, understanding and support from this man.
Client who sought support for anxiety and low mood
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Ian’s gentle and kind manner makes you feel instantly at ease and his considered outlook helps you to see the wood for the trees. He has the ability to ground you when your world seems to be spiralling out of control. I wholeheartedly recommend Ian to anyone who is struggling.
Hope Therapy client
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Kind, gentle, patient and understanding. I’ve never talked before like I have. Thank you. I also know you’re always there if I need you.
Hope Therapy client
Client experiences are unique. Results vary between individuals.
Common Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is The Talk Room counselling podcast?
The Talk Room is a free mental health and counselling podcast produced by Hope Therapy & Counselling Services. Hosted by Ian Stockbridge MBACP (Senior Accredited) and Wendy Castellino — a highly experienced CBT therapist with more than 35 years in the field — it covers topics including anxiety, depression, relationships, trauma, workplace stress, and wellbeing in honest, accessible conversations. It is available free on YouTube.
Who hosts The Talk Room podcast?
The Talk Room is co-hosted by Ian Stockbridge — founder of Hope Therapy, MBACP (Senior Accredited), SNCPS (Acc.), SCoPEd Band C, and a practising counsellor and clinical supervisor — and Wendy Castellino, an accredited CBT therapist and mental health professional with more than 35 years’ experience. Both are active practitioners, not commentators.
Is the podcast a substitute for therapy?
The Talk Room is available to watch and listen to free on YouTube at youtube.com/@hopetherapycounsellingserv549. The channel includes more than 60 full episodes alongside a growing library of short-form content on a wide range of mental health topics.
What topics does the counselling podcast cover?
The Talk Room covers a broad range of mental health and wellbeing topics including anxiety, depression, trauma, OCD, PMDD, relationships and couples, workplace stress and burnout, bereavement, low self-esteem, neurodiversity, LGBTQIA+ mental health, mindfulness, CBT, ACT, compassion focused therapy, and more. Topics are drawn from the presentations that Hope Therapy’s 90+ counsellors support most commonly across England.
Has The Talk Room received any external recognition?
Yes. The Talk Room has been independently recognised by Feedspot as one of the Top Mental Health Podcasts in the UK — an award based on editorial review of content quality, clinical authority, and audience engagement. You can also find the Feedspot recognition displayed on our founder’s page.
Explore Further
Topics the podcast and our counsellors cover
Conditions we support
Therapy approaches
Ready to talk to someone?
The podcast is a starting point. When you are ready to take the next step, our team is here. A free 15-minute consultation — no pressure, no obligation, no script. Just a conversation.
Get in Touch
Start your enquiry
Not sure where to start? Send us a message and a member of our team will get back to you. All enquiries are treated in the strictest confidence.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“From the very first phone call, I felt heard. They didn’t rush me — they helped me work out what I needed.”
Hope Therapy enquiry feedback
NCPS Organisational Member
Est 2014
90+ Qualified Therapists
National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society
British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies
Individual registrations vary per therapist. Last reviewed: May 2026.